Trailer



Jan. l 1, 1938.

A. D. CARPENTER 2,104,734

' TRAILER Filed Aug. 28, 1935 2 sheets-sheet 1 Vdky. fame/:Zell:-

INVENTOR Jan. 11, 1938. v A D CARPENTER 2,104,734

TRAILER' .Filed Aug. 28, 1935- 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR wn'NEss ATTORNEY UNITE STATES ,PATENT oFFicE .TRAILER Arley D. Carpenter, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Comet Trailer Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application August 28, 1935, Serial No. 38,300 1 claim. wieso-33.40

This invention relates t trailers, and its gener- Figure 3 is a sectional view taken transversely al object is to provide a trailer that is primarily through the draft means for the trailer with designed for connection with motor vehicles, parts in elevation, and illustrates, in full lines, in a manner to allow travel at high speed without the supporting leg in position for use and in fear of misalignment, swaying, weaving or whipdash lines in an inoperative position. 5 ping, in that the draft connection between the Figure 4 is a fragmentary rear view o1' the trailer and vehicle includes a pair of substantrailer, tially rigid securing means which likewise allows Referring to the drawings in detail, it will be the trailer to be backed and turned with ease noted that the chassis includes a rectangular and accuracy when attached to the vehicle. frame l preferably made from channel bars and 10 A further object' of the invention is to provide reinforced by an X-frame brace 2, to assure k,even a draft connection between the trailer and the balance no matter where the weight is placed. vehicle `that can be easily and expeditiously se- The bars of the frame of the chassis may be cured and removed with respect to the bumper riveted or otherwise secured together, and bridgor frame of the vehicle in minimum time, and ing the rear portion of the frame I isa transverse- 15 the connecting means are adjustable to t 1y arranged bar 3 disposed parallel with the rear bumpers and frames of various heights. bar, with a plate 4 secured thereto for the pur- Another object of the invention is to provide pose of acting as a supporting means for a leaf a trailer that is capable of being used as a hand spring 5 that has secured to the ends thereof o truck when disconnected from the vehicle, in hanger brackets 6 for the rear portion of the that it can be manually moved from place to body 7, While the forward POllJiOn 0f the body is 2a place, with very little effort, and suitable means supported by hanger brackets 8 DiVOelly C021- is provided for'supporting the trailer when renc'cted between bracket members extending rearmoved and which is movable and held into and Wardly f lOIn the frOnt bar 9 0f the frame, aS clearcut of operative position, ly shown in Figure 2.

A furthcrobject of the invention is to provide It iS ObViOnS that any time 0f body may be 60nd a, trailer that includes means to allow lateral llected t0 the chassis and the One Shown 1S mererocking ihcreof in order to accommodate itself to 1y fOr the DUIPOSe 0f illustre-tion. all road conditions, and which together with the Secured between the rear bai 0f the frame I 3o dual connection, permits, high speeds with Caand the bar 3 thereof and at the sides of the s pacityrloads. 'r frame are housings I0 having bearings arranged Another object of the invention is to provide therein fOl the king Pins 0f YOkES 'l' and each a trailer that includes caster wheels with stabiliz- 0f the king DnS iS provided With stabilizing means ing means therefon in the form of brakes which are adjusted through Another object of the invention is to provide ie instrumentality of suitable means I2. The a trailer of the character set forth, that is simyokes haie mmmted between the arms thelef, ple in constructionfgnexpensive to manufacture, Wheels 3 which Completes the caster Wheel as" and extremely efficient in operation, use and Semb1yservice. Secured to the front bar 9 midway its ends, 40 This invention also consists in certain other through the instrumentality 0f a nut '4 iS a 40 features of construction and in the combination PVO Din l5, Which inllldeS a 6011er providing a and arrangement 0f the Several parts, to be herebearing surface I6 for a rock bar I'I, the latter inafter fully described, illustrated in the aceombeing arranged in front of the bar 9 and is tapered panying drawings and specifically pointed out in toward its outer ends which are enlarged as at the appended claims. I8, but are flat and mounted in vertical guides, 45

In describing my invention in detail, reference the latter being in the form of housings I9 of elonwill be had to the accompanying drawings wheregated formation and xed to the forward corners in like characters denote like or corresponding of the frame I, as best shown in Figure 2. The parts throughout the several views, and in which: outer sides of the housings I9 are closed and the Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating the upper ends are likewise preferably closed, while 50 trailer which forms the subject matter of the the lower ends are OpenY and the Walls 2U DIOVde present invention, yattached to the bumper of a channels for the ends I8. The rock bar is held motor vehicle. on the pivot pin I5 through the instrumentality Figure 2 is a top plan view with the body reof a leg 2| and a wrench nut 22, the latter being moved. threaded on the pin I5 and against the leg 2|, 55

consequently it is seen that the bar I1 is mounted for rocking movement and is guided in the housings I 9.

The leg is of course adapted to support the forward end of the trailer when the latter is disconnected from a vehicle, and the leg is preferably at for the maior portion of its height and has a slot 23 longitudinally arranged therein to receive the pivot pin I5 for movement thereon, so that the leg can be arranged to the respective positions, illustrated in Figure 3, and held accordingly by the wrench nut.

'Ihe flat portion of the leg is flanged so that v when arranged in the dash line position of Figure 3, the anges are disposed over and under ,the bar I1, to aid in fixedly associating the leg with the bar, as will be apparent. A caster wheel 24 is carried by the lower end of the leg, as shown.

Formed on and extending forwardly from adliacent-the ends of the rock bar I1 are lugs 25 having openings therein and a serrated or toothed upper surface which constitutes a part of the adjusting means for adjustably securing arched or arcuate tongues 26 to the rock bar I1. The tongues as shown' are of crossed web construction, with the webs increasing in width from their outer to their inner ends and the inner ends of the tongues have formed thereon disk members 21 having openings therein to receive bolt and nut connections 28 for securing the tongues to the lugs 25, the latter having disk portions correspending to the size of the disk members 21. The members 21 are likewise provided with teeth, and disposed between the disk portions of the lugs and the disk members 21 are toothed washers 29 that are wedge shaped, with the teeth thereof fitting each other and the teeth of the disk portions of the lugs 25 and the disk members 2. By that construction, it will be obvious that the wedge washers can be rotated for adjusting the elevation of the forward ends of the tongues 26 with respect to the plane of the rock bar I1.

The forward ends of the tongues 2B have pivotally secured thereto hangers 3U which have fixed thereto and depending therefrom bifurcated members 3| having aligned openings in the arms thereof, as clearly shown in Figure 1, for the pur- Dose of receiving bolt and nut connections I2 for securing the bifurcated members to the frame A of a bumper B, as shown. However, it is of course understood that the bifurcated members can be fixed to other suitable` means carried by the vehicle C, and the bolt and nut connections 12 can be in the form of U-bolts to straddle the frame A. However. it will be seen that due to the minute adjustment capable of being brought about by the wedge washer structure, that at least one oi the openings of th'e bifurcated members can be aligned with the opening of the frame A to receive the bolt of the bolt and nut connection 32, regardless of the height of the frame, therefore the draft means can be connected to bumpers and frames of various heights in an easy and expeditious manner, and with very little effort.

The particular mounting, aside from providing for adjustment to vary the elevation of the forward ends of the hangers with respect to the plane of the rock bar, also provides for hanger adjustment angularly in a horizontal plane to vary the spacing between the forward ends of the hangers.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of my invention will be readily apparent.

I desire it to be understood that I may make changes in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

The combination with a vehicle and a trailerI of draft means therefor to maintain axial align ment thereof and comprising a transverse bar pivotally mounted midway its ends to the trailer, housings secured to the trailer and receiving the opposite ends of the transverse bar to guide the same, lugs extending forwardly from adjacent the ends of the transverse bar, curved tongues having one of their ends connected to the lugs, toothed and wedge adjusting means included in the connecting means for the tongues, and means for detachably and adjustabiy connecting the opposite ends of the tongues to the vehicle.

ARLEY D. CARPENTER. 

